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Not long ago, you were energetic and determined to start your healthy lifestyle. Starting with enthusiasm and hope, you watched your food intake diligently, exercised like it was going out of style, and even avoided the temptation that seemed to lurk around every corner. You were confident that you were going to reach your goals once and for all! Then certain tragedy struck! You ate an extra piece of birthday cake. Realizing you had “blown” your diet, you ate another and another and couldn’t get it together the next day either. Or worse, you missed one workout, and that turned into a whole week away from the gym. After that, your momentum to start over again was gone, and your gym bag hasn’t left the closet since. Every time you misstep on your healthy journey, you have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings your closer to the future you want. If you’re reading this, you might have been walking backwards for a while. But instead of waiting for the next day, week, month or even year to overhaul your habits, start TODAY. And start small. You can’t go from the recliner to running or from burgers to Brussels sprouts in an afternoon. But you can do one, two or even a handful of small things that will help you regain your momentum for healthy living. When you feel like getting back on track is overwhelming, try one (or more) of these small steps each day. 1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing. For ideas browse our video library or workout generator. 2. Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland. 3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right! Get lots of breakfast ideas here. 4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference! 5. Look at Motivational SparkPages. Seeing how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles can be a great source of motivation. 6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it. 7. Update your SparkPage. It’s a visual way to track your ups and downs, but also your progress. Continued › |
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Motivation Articles › Picking Yourself Back Up25 Ways to Get Back on Track TodayDon't Give Up on Your Goals!-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health EducatorSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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About The Author
Nicole Nichols
Nicole was named "America's Top Personal Trainer to Watch" in 2011. A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and education, she loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Her DVDs "Total Body Sculpting" and "28 Day Boot Camp" (a best seller) are available online and in stores nationwide. Read Nicole's full bio and blog posts. Follow Coach Nicole Online:   
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Member Comments
I came back to SP tired, discouraged, and afraid that I would still not be able to make any progress. With a have-to-do health threat hanging over my head, I want to be enthusiastic about setting out on this journey, but I haven't built up any steam yet. - 5/20/2013 2:00:10 PM
Will let you all know my progress, wish me luck :) - 5/12/2013 9:00:27 PM
- 4/12/2013 12:54:53 PM
mmmmmmmmm - 2/8/2013 10:25:38 PM